If you’ve just become engaged, congratulations! What an exciting time in your life as a young Christian couple.
At this point in time, you may be considering scheduling some Christian premarital counseling sessions.
In this guide, we’ve reviewed the six best online premarital counseling services for Christians. Later, we’ve also explained more about how Christian pre-marriage counseling works, to help you and your partner prepare to get married.
Want to skip right to the suggestions for Christian premarital counseling? Here are our 6 recommended therapy solutions:
- ReGain
- Find-a-therapist.com
- MyCounselor.Online
- Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
- Cornerstone Christian Counseling
- Christian Counselor Directory
Best Christian Premarital Counseling Online Platforms
| Provider | Good For | Location | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReGain | Quick match with the right couples therapist for you | Online therapy | $65 to $90 per week (billed every 4 weeks) |
| Find-a-therapist.com | Finding and contacting the right counselor for you | Online and in-person therapy | Varies depending on the counselor fee |
| MyCounselor.Online | Individual counseling, family/teen counseling, marriage communication, marriage sex therapy, marriage infidelity, premarital dating | Online therapy | $252 to $450 per month |
| Association of Certified Biblical Counselors | Marriage, family dynamics, personal struggles, and emotional well-being | Online and in-person therapy worldwide | Varies depending on the counselor fee |
| Cornerstone Christian Counseling | Christian therapy, marriage therapy, play therapy, trauma therapy, EMDR, brainspotting therapy | Online therapy in AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, IN, MN, MO, MT, NC, WA, WY and in-person therapy in CO and FL | $68 to $192 per session |
| Christian Counselor Directory | Finding and contacting the right Christian counselor near you | Online and in-person therapy in the U.S. and Canada | Varies depending on the counselor fee |
Let’s begin our reviews.
Below, we’ve looked at six of the best Christian premarital counseling services, allowing you connect with a Christian counselor online.
1. ReGain
Tailored for individuals and couples navigating relationship or marital issues – ReGain is your online relationship therapy solution. Starting at $65/week, you can schedule one weekly live session and message your therapist anytime. Start your path to healthier connections with ReGain – fill out their online assessment form.
- Good for: Quick match with the right couples therapist for you.
- Location: Online therapy.
- Pricing: $65 to $90 per week (billed every 4 weeks).
- Features: iOS and Android app available, message your therapist anytime, live sessions are scheduled weekly and done via live chat, phone, or video call.
ReGain offers couples online counseling, connecting you with professionally licensed and spiritually informed premarital counselors. The Christian premarital counseling professionals on ReGain combine their psychology experience and knowledge with Biblical wisdom, in an online counseling setting.
2. Find-a-therapist.com
- Good for: Finding and contacting the right counselor for you.
- Location: Online and in-person therapy.
- Pricing: Varies depending on the counselor fee.
- Features: Filter your search, find accessible and effective online and in-person therapy, find guides on different types of therapy.
Find-a-therapist.com offers an online directory where you can find therapists with experience and training in Christian premarital counseling such as Jane Perkins. On this website, you can check therapist’s profiles and contact them directly.
3. MyCounselor.Online
- Good for: Individual counseling, family/teen counseling, marriage communication, marriage sex therapy, marriage infidelity, premarital dating.
- Location: Online therapy.
- Pricing: $252 to $450 per month.
- Features: Get matched with your ideal counselor, pricing depends on the experience of the counselor, find faith-based counselors in neuroscience-informed therapy.
MyCounselor.Online is an online platform that provides Christian-based premarital counseling. They only employ exerienced Christian counselors, who are accredited by their relevant state licensing board. MyCounselor also provides sex therapy, as well as Christian premarital and married couples counseling.
4. Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
- Good for: Marriage, family dynamics, personal struggles, and emotional well-being.
- Location: Online and in-person therapy worldwide.
- Pricing: Varies depending on the counselor fee.
- Features: Principles and guidance of the Bible are central, search by location, specialization, or other criteria, reach out to the counselor directly.
The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors is a Christian organization that offers an online directory where you can search for Christian premarital counselors in your area. Once you select a therapist you can contact them directly to schedule an appointment.
5. Cornerstone Christian Counseling
- Good for: Christian therapy, marriage therapy, play therapy, trauma therapy, EMDR, brainspotting therapy.
- Location: Online therapy in AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, IN, MN, MO, MT, NC, WA, WY and in-person therapy in CO and FL.
- Pricing: $68 to $192 per session.
- Features: Choose your therapist by qualification, discounts for those in the military, first responders, police, and chaplains.
Cornerstone Christian Counseling is a counseling center that offers professional counseling services from a Christian perspective. There you can either select or be matched with a premarital Christian counselor according to your preferences and needs.
6. Christian Counselor Directory
- Good for: Finding and contacting the right Christian counselor near you.
- Location: Online and in-person therapy in the U.S. and Canada.
- Pricing: Varies depending on the counselor fee.
- Features: Free to access, browse a thorough profile of each therapist, locate a therapist by entering your zip code, state, or province, contact therapists directly.
The Christian Counselor Directory is an online platform designed to connect individuals with qualified Christian counselors who offer therapy services like premarital counseling from a faith-based perspective. There you can search for therapists based on location, specialty areas, and treatment approaches.
How Does Premarital Counseling Help?
In a typical marriage, you will live together, cook together, and clean together. Your relationship will go through a lot of challenges over time, possibly resulting in arguments and conflicts between you.
However, disagreements in a relationship are perfectly normal, and you can overcome them – especially with the right Christian marriage preparation services.
Premarital counseling helps Christian couples to address any differences or disagreements that you currently have, so that they don’t become a problem in the future. It’s often a lot cheaper and easier to invest in some premarital counseling before any conflicts or differences worsen, rather than having to invest in marriage counseling to save your marriage in the future.
Can You Do Premarital Counseling Online?
It’s certainly possible to do premarital counseling online, if you and your wife/husband-to-be would prefer this option.
There are a range of online counseling services that do a great job providing support over the internet. Some focus on Christian couples counseling specifically, such as the ones we looked at above.
Just ensure that you choose a reputable service, that provides Christian couples counseling from licensed mental health professionals.
What Does Christian Premarital Counseling Involve?
Premarital Christian counseling is a way to nurture a healthy marriage and make it more resilient. It helps to prevent small insecurities from becoming a problem in the future.
You can get online counseling from a licensed psychologist, a marriage/family therapist, or a professional counselor. Some pastors or religious leaders also provide premarital counseling, however it’s typically best to seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
When you choose online marital counseling, you’ll typically have weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly premarital counseling sessions with a licensed marriage counselor.
With some platforms you’ll be able to text message your counseling professional in between sessions, and they’ll respond during business hours. You can also create a group chat with your significant other, allowing them to join in the conversation.
When Should I Choose Online Premarital Counseling?
There are a few different reasons why you might choose online premarital counseling rather than face-to-face sessions.
If your calendar is full and you don’t feel like getting stuck in traffic traveling to an in-person session, online counseling might be a great option for you. It may be that seeing a counselor online is more convenient, depending on your schedule, or you may not have many good Christian counseling professionals available where you live.
Also, if you feel more comfortable communicating via text messaging, chat, or video calls, then online counseling is a great choice. It’s important that you and your significant other feel comfortable opening up to your counselor during the premarital counseling sessions.
Lastly, planning a wedding can be a very stressful process. Organizing and finding a time with a counselor in-person can add to this stress. Online platforms provide a good solution in this situation, since their therapists are more readily available, and can sometimes be booked outside of business hours.
When Should I See a Premarital Counselor Face-to-Face?
Getting Christian premarital counseling online is not advised when you or your partner are in a crisis situation.
If you suffer from a complex psychiatric illness or a very serious mental health issue, it’s often a better idea to see a therapist in person, so that they can better provide the support you need.
If you or your partner is suffering from suicidal thoughts or you need direct assistance, you should call 911, or 1-800-273-8255 (the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 737-225-3150 to get help if you’re in an abusive or violent relationship.
Common Themes and Questions Discussed During Premarital Counseling
Premarital therapy can help you align your future and prepare you for big life transitions, providing you with tools for better communication skills and conflict resolution.
Although couples can address specific problems and premarital counseling questions with a therapist, in general, premarital counseling is a way to align on some central relationship themes.
Common issues that can play a big role in divorce and are often addressed in premarital counseling include:
- Ensuring good interpersonal communication
- Goals in life
- Parenting, or plans for children in the future
- Finances or budgeting
That is why premarital counseling often explores your expectations from each other in these areas.
Premarital counseling may also help you to identify growth areas in your relationship, such as improving your skills and developing plans to address the following issues:
- Conflict resolution (dealing with problems such as stonewalling/withdrawal, defensiveness, criticism, and contempt)
- In-laws/family issues
- Commitment to the relationship
- Marital expectations (roles/delegation of responsibilities and jobs in the household)
- Sexual expectations and sexual desire
- Religion/spiritual leadership
- Ensuring you spend enough time fostering your love (not too busy or not enough free time)
Last but not least, a premarital counselor might also ask about your previous relationships, including with your family. This is to identify how you communicate with loved ones, and to see which emotional patterns might need some support.
Your therapist might ask what you learned from a given relationship, or where it went wrong. Essentially, to prevent negative patterns from repeating themselves (coming from your previous relationships) you need help identifying them first. Premarital counseling allows you to do this in a safe space, and foster communication patterns focused on:
- Understanding
- Empathy
- Insight
- Forgiveness
- Active listening
As a Christian, premarital counseling might also entail an exploration of your devotion to God and Christ.
Not everyone has the exact same levels of devotion or expectations of how involved God is in their life, so if this is an issue, your counseling professional may explore this area.
For example, they may ask questions about how much will you pray or study the Bible, and how much will you go to church. You will then work with your partner to develop a better understanding of each other’s needs in this area, so that you can ensure a successful Christian foundation for your relationship.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Christian premarital counseling offers couples a unique opportunity to lay a strong foundation for a lifelong partnership rooted in faith, commitment, and understanding.
Christian premarital counseling not only prepares couples for the joys and trials of married life but also reinforces their spiritual connection, fostering a relationship grounded in love, trust, and mutual respect as they embark on this sacred journey together.
If you’re still unsure which service to use to help you ensure a happy marriage, contact us and we’ll get right back to you.
References
Hook, J. N., Ripley, J. S., Worthington Jr, E. L., & Davis, D. E. (2011). Christian approaches for helping couples: Review of empirical research and recommendations for clinicians. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 30(3), 213. Link.
Murray, C. E. (2006). Which topics are important to address in premarital counseling? A survey of clergy. Journal of pastoral care & counseling, 60(1-2), 69-81. Link.
